Apparatus for feeding and winding textile threads



Fe. 25, 1936. w I Y ET 2&31399 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND WINDING TEXTILE THREADS Filed Sept. 25, 1954 gr-1 "E MLUA'M l- TAYLOR ALFRED'H- WOODRUFF IMENT K Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND WINDING TEXTILE THREADS tion of Delaware Application September 25, 1934, Serial No. 745,380 In Great Britain October 4, 1933 10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for feeding and winding textile threads. The invention has special reference to winding apparatus employed in connection with machines for the production of artificial threads by dry spinning. In such apparatus the thread of filaments produced by the evaporation of solvent from filaments extruded through a jet into an evaporative atmosphere is drawn from the jet at a predetermined rate by a feed-roller and carried thereby to a winding or twisting and winding device, e. g. a cap spinning device. The thread passes round the feed-roller and is continuously wound thereon during starting up of the winding operation or during replacement of a wound bobbin by an empty one, any waste accumulating during this period being removed from the roller after winding has started on the bobbin. If the thread breaks between the feed-roller and the bobbin it continues to wind round the feed-roller and is taken up thereby until the breakage has been noticed and rectified, generally by removal of the partly wound bobbin and its replacement by an empty one. Until the breakage has been detected the thread accumulates as waste on the feed-roller and if attention is not paid to the matter for some time a considerable amount of waste may collect in this way and lead to greater difficulty in its later removal and consequently to a greater interval of time being required to recommence winding.

The object of the present invention is to avoid any large accumulation of waste on the feedroller in the event of the thread breaking between the roller and the bobbin.

According to the invention the thread is guided to the feed-roller by a movable guide, which guide is under the control of a member itself controlled by the thread between the feed-roller and the bobbin, so that so long as winding continues the guide continues to direct the thread to the feedroller. When the thread breaks the member controlled thereby is free to move and bring about a movement of the movable guide, which thereupon directs the thread from the feed-roller to a waste-roller. Instead, therefore, of the thread accumulating on the feed-roller until the breakage has been noticed, it is Wound upon the waste-roller. In order to recommence winding the thread is transferred again to the feed-roller, leaving the waste to be removed at will from the waste-roller. The waste-roller can be stopped from rotationindependently of the feed-roller, and the waste can therefore be easily cut away and removed without interfering with the winding operation, even if a relatively large amount of waste has been allowed to collect.

Conveniently, the thread-controlled member is supported by direct contact with the thread and mounted in such a manner that without the support afforded by the thread it would fall, e. g., under its own weight. Since the tension in the thread between the feed-roller and the bobbin may be very light, for example when the thread is of light denier, and when the apparatus is operating at a high or very high winding rate, the member supported by the thread should be lightly poised so as to bear gently against the thread and yet be free to move with certainty when the thread breaks.

Preferably, therefore, the thread-supported member is arranged to release additional and more powerful means by which the movement of the movable guide is brought about. Moreover, in view of the delicate nature of the control afforded by the thread and of the vibration to which the apparatus may be subjected, the mechanism is preferably provided with locking means to prevent accidental operation of the movable guide by reason of vibration. For example the movable guide may be definitely held in the position in which it leads the thread to the feed-roller by locking means which are released upon breakage of the thread to effect the movement of the guide by further means also controlled by the member supported by the thread.

The apparatus now to be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing embodies the above-mentioned features.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a dry-spinning apparatus fitted in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are a part-sectional front elevation and a plan respectively of the thread-controlling device to a larger scale; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the mechanism of Fig. 3 in released position.

Figs. 3 and 5 are views taken from the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

On a bar l disposed below the feed-roller H is mounted upon a vertical pivot l2 the horizontal portion of a guide lever I3 which extends upwardly at the rear side of the feed-roller, that is the side of the rollerfacing the spinning cabinet M. The upward extension l of the lever l3 lies against the thread It as it proceeds from the cabinet I4 to the feed-roller l. A back guide 17 is carried by the member IS, the thread passing through the guide [1 after passing partially round the roller II, then again over the roller I I to the balloon guide I8 of the cap-spinning device I9.

Fig. 2 shows each feed-roller II serving to deliver two threads I6, a waste-roller 20 being disposed between adjacent feed-rollers and a shorter waste-roller 2I being arranged against the end feed-roller of the series. The waste-rollers are loosely mounted on the shaft 22 by which the feed-rollers are driven.

The guide levers I3 are positioned to lead the threads I6 near to the ends of the feed-rollers I I, and each lever I3 is capable of movement about its pivot I2 in a direction that will carry the corresponding thread from the feed-roller to the adjacent waste-roller. Thus, the middle lever I3 of the three shown in Fig. 2 is capable of clockwise movement to carry the thread to the right on to the waste-roller 20; the other levers shown have an anti-clockwise movement. The device shown in detailin Figs. 3-5 is arranged for clockwise movement of the lever I 3, anti-clockwise movement being provided by devices which are a mirror-image of that shown in these figures.

Referring to Figs. 3-5, the forward end 23 of the horizontal portion of the guide lever I3 lies below a gravity latch 24 which normally prevents clockwise movement of the guide under the pull of a spring 25 connected between the member I5 and a pin 26 on the bar I0 and lying slightly to the right of the pivot I2. The latch serves to prevent accidental release of the lever I3 by reason of vibration of the apparatus.

Mounted on a horizontal pivot 21 lying below and in substantially the same direction as the horizontal arm of the guide lever I3 is mounted a thread contacting lever 28 which is arranged to lie substantially vertically above the pivot but slightly urged towards and against the portion 29 of the thread I6 proceeding from the feedroller to the bobbin.

The weight of the lever 28 may provide the urge of the lever towards the portion 29 of the thread, a small weight 30 carried by a rod 3I from the hub 32 to which the lever 28 is secured serving to counterbalance the weight of other members carried by the hub, or, if desired, to add to the urge of the lever.

A lug 33 connected to the hub 32 extends below and to the right of a downwardly depending part 34 of the latch 24 for the guide lever, so that on counter-clockwise movement of the lever 28, the lug 33 lifts the latch and frees the lever l3. A further lug 35 on the hub 32 strikes the end of the lever I3 and brings the lever into a position in which the spring 25 is carried further away from the pivot I 2 so as to pull the lever I3 rapidly in a clockwise direction about the pivot.

The portion 29 of the thread I6 between the feed-roller II and the balloon guide I8 lies against left-hand side of the control lever 28, the poising of the lever about its pivot 21 being adjusted so that even if the tension in the thread is very light the lever is restrained against its tendency to fall counter-clockwise. If, however, the thread breaks between the feed-roller and the balloon guide, the restraint is removed, the lever 28 falls, the lug 33 easily lifts the latch 24 to free the end 23 of the lever I3, and the lug 35 accelerates the clockwise movement of the lever I3 to allow the spring 25 to carry the part I5 of the lever opposite the waste-roller 20.

The back-guide l'I thus directs the thread It over the right-hand end of the feed-roller II,

the end being chamfered as shown at 36 to facilitate the thread movement, and continues to guide the thread on to the waste-roller 20. A lug 37 on the lever I3 engages a stop 38 on the bar It to limit the right-hand movement of the lever. When the lever 28 falls, the weight 38 drops below the level of the end 23 of the lever I3, a lug 39 on the hub 32 engaging the underside of the bar ID to limit the movement of the lever 28. Resetting of the device is effected by drawing the member I5 on which the back-guide I? is mounted back into its normal position opposite the end of the feed-roller. The front end 23 of the lever I3 thus strikes the lug 35 to rock the hub 32 counter-clockwise, the lug 33 allows the latch 24 to fall, and the end 23 of the lever I3 is re-engaged by the latch. The lug 33 has a projection 40 engaging the upper face of the bar ID to bring the lever 28 to correct position upon resetting. During resetting, the lever 28 is held by'the operative against falling until the thread has been caused to run on the bobbin of the capspinning device I9, after which the thread itself ensures that the back-guide I1 and member I5 keep the thread running over the feed-roller.

The waste-rollers 20, 2| being loosely mountedon the shaft 22, they can be stopped from rotating independently of the feed-rollers II, and waste can therefore be easily cut away after transference of a broken thread to the feed-roller. The removal of the waste does not interfere with the winding operation even if a relatively large amount of waste has been allowed to collect.

The apparatus may be employed where the thread is collected otherwise than by a twisting and winding device, for example, where a simple bobbin or cheese winding apparatus is employed for collecting the thread without twisting it, a constant path being provided between a feedroller and. a guide associated with the collecting device in order that the support for the lever 28 may be maintained while the thread is continuously run to the bobbin or other package.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to apparatus operating in conjunction with apparatus for the production of the thread being wound, but may be applied in other apparatus where a similar feed or delivery roller device is used to forward the thread to the winding device.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. Apparatus comprising a feed-roller for a thread, a waste-roller disposed adjacent to said feed-roller, thread guide means movably mounted so as to direct a thread either to the feed-roller or to the waste-roller, and threadcontrolled means adapted to maintain the guide means in position to direct a thread to the feedroller so long as the thread continues to be fed from the feed-roller and to cause the guide means to move into position to direct the thread to the waste-roller on cessation of the feeding of the thread from the feed-roller.

2. Thread forming and winding apparatus comprising means for producing a thread of artificial filaments, a winding device, a feed-roller adapted to receive the thread and to deliver the thread to the winding device, a waste-roller disposed adjacent to the feed-roller, thread guide means movably mounted between the thread producing means and the feed-roller, and threadcontrolled means in association with the guide means, said thread-controlled means being disposed between the feed-roller and the winding device and adapted upon breakage of the thread between the feed-roller and the winding device to bring about a movement of the guide means towards the waste-roller, so transferring the thread proceeding from the thread-producing means from the feed-roller to the waste-roller.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the thread-controlled means comprises a lightly poised member adapted to be supported by the thread between the'feed-roller and the winding device, and wherein means connected to the thread guide are provided to be engaged by falling of the poised member upon breakage of the thread.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 comprising locking means adapted to hold the thread guide in position to deliver the thread to the feedroller, and. means adapted to be operated by the thread-controlled means upon breakage of the thread to release said locking means.

5. Thread-feeding apparatus comprising a feed-roller, a waste-roller disposed adjacent to the feed-roller, a movable thread guide disposed to one side of said feedand waste-rollers, spring means connected to the thread guide to urge the guide towards the waste-roller, locking means adapted to hold the thread guide opposite the feed-roller against the action of the spring means, and thread-controlled means disposed on the side of the rollers remote from the thread guide, said thread-controlled means being adapted upon breakage of the thread to release said locking means and to permit the thread guide to move towards the waste-roller.

6. Dry-spinning apparatus for the production of an artificial thread, said apparatus comprising a feed-roller adapted to receive the thread as fast as it is formed, a waste-roller in axial alignment with the feed-roller, a thread guide movable parallel to the axis of said rollers from a position opposite the feed-roller to a. position opposite the waste-roller, a thread-collecting device adapted to receive the thread delivered by the feed-roller, a lightly poised member disposed so as to be supported by the thread between the feed-roller and the winding device, and means operated by the release of said memher upon breakage of the thread to move the thread guide from its normal position opposite the feed-roller to a position opposite the wasteroller.

1 '7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the waste-roller is capable of being stopped independently of the feed-roller.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the waste-roller is less in diameter than the feedroller, and wherein the end of the feed-roller adjacent to the waste-roller is chamfered to facilitate the transfer of the thread by the thread guide from one roller to the other.

9. Apparatus comprising a feed-roller for a thread, means to effect delivery of a thread continuously to said feed-roller, a waste-roller disposed adjacent to said feed-roller and adapted to be stopped from rotation independently thereof, thread guide means movably mounted so as to direct a thread either to the feed-roller or to the waste-roller, and thread-controlled means adapted to maintain the guide means in position to direct a thread to the feed-roller so long as the thread continues to be fed from the feedroller and to cause the guide means to move into position to direct the-thread to the waste-roller on cessation of the feeding of the thread from the feed-roller,

10. Thread-forming and winding apparatus comprising means for producing a thread of artificial filaments, a winding device, a feedroller adapted to receive the thread and to deliver said thread to the winding device, a wasteroller disposed adjacent to said feed-roller and adapted to be stopped from rotation independently thereof, thread guide means movably mounted between the thread-producing means and the feed-roller, and thread-controlled means in association with the guide means, said threadcontrolled means being disposed between the feed-roller and the winding device and adapted upon breakage of the thread between the feedroller and the winding device to bring about a movement of the guide means towards the wasteroller, so transferring the thread proceeding from the thread-producing means from the feedroller to the waste-roller.

WILLIAM IVAN TAYLOR. ALFRED HERBERT WOODRUFF.

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